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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 15:1–4. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.
I.We must bear the infirmities of the weak, Rom 15:1.
We all have our infirmities; but the weak are more subject to them than others - the weak in knowledge or grace, the bruised reed and the smoking flax. We must consider these; not trample upon them, but encourage them, and bear with their infirmities. If through weakness they judge and censure us, and speak evil of us, we must bear with them, pity them, and not have our affections alienated from them. Alas! it is their weakness, they cannot help it. Thus Christ bore with his weak disciples, and apologised for them. But there is more in it; we must also bear their infirmities by sympathizing with them, concerning ourselves for them, ministering strength to them, as there is occasion. This is bearing one another's burdens.
II.We must not please ourselves, but our neighbour, Rom 15:1, Rom 15:2.
We must deny our own humour, in consideration of our brethren's weakness and infirmity.
1.Christians must not please themselves. We must not make it our business to gratify all the little appetites and desires of our own heart; it is good for us to cross ourselves sometimes, and then we shall the better bear others crossing of us. We shall be spoiled (as Adonijah was) if we be always humoured. The first lesson we have to learn is to deny ourselves, Mat 16:24.
2.Christians must please their brethren. The design of Christianity is to soften and meeken the spirit, to teach us the art of obliging and true complaisance; not to be servants to the lust of any, but to the necessities and infirmities of our brethren - to comply with all that we have to do with as fare as we can with a good conscience. Christians should study to be pleasing. As we must not please ourselves in the use of our Christian liberty (which was allowed us, not for our own pleasure, but for the glory of God and the profit and edification of others), so we must please our neighbour. How amiable and comfortable a society would the church of Christ be if Christians would study to please one another, as now we see them commonly industrious to cross, and thwart, and contradict one another! - Please his neighbour, not in every thing, it is not an unlimited rule; but for his good, especially for the good of his soul: not please him by serving his wicked wills, and humouring him in a sinful way, or consenting to his enticements, or suffering sin upon him; this is a base way of pleasing our neighbour to the ruin of his soul: if we thus please men, we are not the servants of Christ; but please him for his good; not for our own secular good, or to make a prey of him, but for his spiritual good. - To edification, that is, not only for his profit, but for the profit of others, to edify the body of Christ, by studying to oblige one another. The closer the stones lie, and the better they are squared to fit one another, the stronger is the building. Now observe the reason why Christians must please one another: For even Christ pleased not himself. The self-denial of our Lord Jesus is the best argument against the selfishness of Christians. Observe,
(1.)That Christ pleased not himself. He did not consult his own worldly credit, ease, safety, nor pleasure; he had not where to lay his head, lived upon alms, would not be made a king, detested no proposal with greater abhorrence than that, Master, spare thyself, did not seek his own will (Joh 5:30), washed his disciples' feet, endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, troubled himself (Joh 11:33), did not consult his own honour, and, in a word, emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation: and all this for our sakes, to bring in a righteousness for us, and to set us an example. His whole life was a self-denying self-displeasing life. He bore the infirmities of the weak, Heb 4:15.
(2.)That herein the scripture was fulfilled: As it is written, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me. This is quoted out of Psa 69:9, the former part of which verse is applied to Christ (Joh 2:17), The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the latter part here; for David was a type of Christ, and his sufferings of Christ's sufferings. It is quoted to show that Christ was so far from pleasing himself that he did in the highest degree displease himself. Not as if his undertaking, considered on the whole, were a task and grievance to him, for he was very willing to it and very cheerful in it; but in his humiliation the content and satisfaction of natural inclination were altogether crossed and denied. He preferred our benefit before his own ease and pleasure. This the apostle chooses to express in scripture language; for how can the things of the Spirit of God be better spoken of than in the Spirit's own words? And this scripture he alleges, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me.
[1.]The shame of those reproaches, which Christ underwent. Whatever dishonour was done to God was a trouble to the Lord Jesus. He was grieved for the hardness of people's hearts, beheld a sinful place with sorrow and tears. When the saints were persecuted, Christ so far displeased himself as to take what was done to them as done against himself: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Christ also did himself endure the greatest indignities; there was much of reproach in his sufferings.
[2.]The sin of those reproaches, for which Christ undertook to satisfy; so many understand it. Every sin is a kind of reproach to God, especially presumptuous sins; now the guilt of these fell upon Christ, when he was made sin, that is, a sacrifice, a sin-offering for us. When the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, they fell upon him as upon our surety. Upon me be the curse. This was the greatest piece of self-displacency that could be: considering his infinite spotless purity and holiness, the infinite love of the Father to him, and his eternal concern for his Father's glory, nothing could be more contrary to him, nor more against him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him, especially considering for whom he thus displeased himself, for strangers, enemies, and traitors, the just for the unjust, Pe1 3:18. This seems to come in as a reason why we should bear the infirmities of the weak. We must not please ourselves, for Christ pleased not himself; we must bear the infirmities of the weak, for Christ bore the reproaches of those that reproached God. He bore the guilt of sin and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. he bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the infirmities of the weak. - Even Christ; kai gar ho Christos. Even he who was infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, who needed not us nor our services, - even he who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, who had reason enough to pleas himself, and no reason to be concerned, much less to be crossed, for us, - even he pleased not himself, even he bore our sins. And should not we be humble, and self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another?
(3.)That therefore we must go and do likewise: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.
[1.]That which is written of Christ, concerning his self-denial and sufferings, is written for our learning; he hath left us an example. If Christ denied himself, surely we should deny ourselves, from a principle of ingenuousness and of gratitude, and especially of conformity to his image. The example of Christ, in what he did and said, is recorded for our imitation.
[2.]That which is written in the scriptures of the Old Testament in the general is written for our learning. What David had said in his own person Paul had just now applied to Christ. Now lest this should look like a straining of the scripture, he gives us this excellent rule in general, that all the scriptures of the Old Testament (much more those of the New) were written for our learning, and are not to be looked upon as of private interpretation. What happened to the Old Testament saint happened to them for ensample; and the scriptures of the Old Testament have many fulfillings. The scriptures are left for a standing rule to us: they are written, that they might remain for our use and benefit. First, For our learning. There are many things to be learned out of the scriptures; and that is the best learning which is drawn from these fountains. Those are the most learned that are most mighty in the scriptures. We must therefore labour, not only to understand the literal meaning of the scripture, but to learn out of it that which will do us good; and we have need of help therefore not only to roll away the stone, but to draw out the water, for in many places the well is deep. Practical observations are more necessary than critical expositions. Secondly, That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. That hope which hath eternal life for its object is here proposed as the end of scripture-learning. The scripture was written that we might know what to hope for from God, and upon what grounds, and in what way. This should recommend the scripture to us that it is a special friend to Christian hope. Now the way of attaining this hope is through patience and comfort of the scripture. Patience and comfort suppose trouble and sorrow; such is the lot of the saints in this world; and, were it not so, we should have no occasion for patience and comfort. But both these befriend that hope which is the life of our souls. Patience works experience, and experience hope, which maketh not ashamed, Rom 5:3-5. The more patience we exercise under troubles the more hopefully we may look through our troubles; nothing more destructive to hope than impatience. And the comfort of the scriptures, that comfort which springs from the word of God (that is the surest and sweetest comfort) is likewise a great stay to hope, as it is an earnest in hand of the good hoped for. The Spirit, as a comforter, is the earnest of our inheritance.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
We ought to please God first, then our neighbor. But perhaps someone will say that Paul is contradicting himself here, because elsewhere he says: “If I please men, then I am not a servant of Christ.” … In answer to this it must be said that it is one thing to try to please others in order to get their praise and quite another to please them in order that one’s own life might be blameless, so that those who meet us may be edified by what they see and hear. We are not called to please others by doing things which are against faith, honor and piety.… Note that Paul himself says this, when he adds that in pleasing our neighbor the purpose is to edify him.
But what he says is this. Art thou powerful? Let the weak have trial of thy power. Let him come to know thy strength; please him. And he does not barely say please, but for his good, and not barely for his good, lest the advanced person should say, See I am drawing him to his good! but he adds, "to edification." And so if thou be rich or be in power, please not thyself, but the poor and the needy, because in this way thou wilt at once have true glory to enjoy, and be doing much service. For glory from things of the world soon flies away, but that from things of the Spirit is abiding, if thou do it to edification. Wherefore of all men he requires this. For it is not this and that person that is to do it, but "each of you." Then since it was a great thing he had commanded them, and had bidden them even relax their own perfectness in order to set right the other's weakness; he again introduces Christ, in the following words:
Let us be commended not by ourselves but by our neighbors, just as Paul sets his own example before us elsewhere when he says: “Just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage but that of many, that they may be saved.” For nobody can build up another person if he has not first attracted him by his good life. But those who do their own will, because they are seeking their own advantage, are pleasing themselves. Paul indicates how and why we should please, so that we do not do it for worthless glory.
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Summary
Romans 15:2 calls every believer to prioritize the spiritual well-being of their fellow Christian, actively seeking to please them not for personal gain or flattery, but for their genuine benefit and spiritual growth. This command is foundational for fostering unity and maturity within the church, urging believers to set aside individual preferences and rights when they might hinder another's faith, instead pursuing actions that build up the body of Christ.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 15:2 is deeply embedded within Paul's extended exhortation concerning Christian unity and mutual acceptance, which begins in Romans 14. Chapters 14 and the opening verses of 15 address the tensions between "strong" and "weak" believers, particularly regarding practices like dietary laws and the observance of specific days. Paul's primary concern is that those with greater liberty in Christ (the "strong") should not cause their weaker brethren to stumble or be offended. Romans 15:1 explicitly states, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Verse 2 directly builds on this by providing the positive command: instead of pleasing oneself, one should please their neighbor for their good, with the ultimate aim of edification. This demonstrates a clear progression from abstaining from harmful actions to actively pursuing beneficial ones.
Historical & Cultural Context
The church in Rome was a diverse community, comprising both Jewish and Gentile converts. This diversity often led to differing convictions, particularly concerning adherence to Jewish customs (like food laws and Sabbath observance) which some Jewish Christians still valued, while Gentile Christians often felt free from such regulations. Paul's letter seeks to bridge these divides, emphasizing that while individual liberty in Christ is valid, it must always be exercised within the framework of love and consideration for others. The cultural context also involved a common understanding of "pleasing" (ἀρέσκω - areskō), which could range from mere flattery to genuine accommodation. Paul clarifies that here it means seeking the true, spiritual good of the other, contrasting it with self-pleasing. This teaching was crucial for a nascent church navigating internal differences while facing external pressures from a pagan society.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes found throughout Romans and Paul's epistles. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Selfless Love and Service, echoing the call for believers to prioritize the well-being of others over personal desires or convenience, a principle central to Christian ethics as seen in Philippians 2:3-4. Secondly, it reinforces the biblical principle of Neighborly Love, which Jesus identified as the second greatest commandment (e.g., Matthew 22:39). Paul recontextualizes this love within the Christian community, emphasizing its constructive and spiritual dimension. Thirdly, the verse highlights Edification (Building Up), a recurring Pauline theme. The ultimate goal of Christian interaction is not just peaceful coexistence, but the active spiritual strengthening of fellow believers and the church as a whole, as also taught in 1 Corinthians 14:26. Finally, the passage speaks to the crucial theme of Unity in the Church, demonstrating how individual acts of sacrificial love contribute to the overall harmony and health of the diverse body of Christ, preventing divisions that might arise from differing convictions or backgrounds.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "to be agreeable (or by implication, to seek to be so)." In this context, it moves beyond mere flattery or seeking human approval. Paul uses it to denote acting in a way that is genuinely beneficial, agreeable, and supportive to another person's spiritual journey and well-being, rather than simply satisfying one's own desires or preferences.
Meaning "(adverbially) close by; as noun, a neighbor, i.e. fellow (as man, countryman, Christian or friend)." Here, it specifically refers to fellow believers within the Christian community, emphasizing the immediate context of intra-church relationships. The command is not abstract but directed at those with whom one shares fellowship and proximity in faith.
Meaning "architecture, i.e. (concretely) a structure; figuratively, confirmation." This word is crucial. It literally means "building" or "construction." In the New Testament, particularly in Paul's writings, it consistently refers to spiritual construction—the process of building up individuals in faith, character, and maturity, and strengthening the church as a corporate body. It implies a constructive, positive, and growth-oriented outcome.
Verse Breakdown
"Let every one of us please his neighbour"
This is an imperative command, addressed to "every one of us," indicating a universal responsibility for all believers. The act of "pleasing" here is not about conforming to someone's every whim or engaging in insincere flattery. Instead, it signifies a deliberate choice to act in a manner that is considerate, accommodating, and beneficial to the spiritual and relational harmony of one's fellow believer. It stands in direct contrast to the self-pleasing Paul warns against in Romans 15:1.
"for his good"
This phrase clarifies the motive and nature of the "pleasing." The intention must be benevolent and genuinely aimed at the other person's true welfare. It distinguishes this command from worldly people-pleasing, which often seeks personal advantage or avoids conflict. Christian "pleasing" is selfless, driven by love, and focused on what is genuinely advantageous for the neighbor, particularly in a spiritual sense.
"to edification"
This final phrase specifies the ultimate purpose and desired outcome of such actions. The goal is not merely to avoid offense or maintain superficial peace, but to actively build up the other person. "Edification" (from oikodomḗ) implies spiritual construction—strengthening their faith, encouraging their growth in Christ, and contributing to their maturity. It means acting in ways that foster spiritual health and stability within the individual and the collective body of believers.
Literary Devices
Paul employs several effective literary devices in this concise verse. The primary device is the Imperative Mood, signaled by "Let every one of us please," which conveys a direct command or exhortation, emphasizing the non-negotiable nature of this principle for Christian conduct. This is not a suggestion but a clear directive for how believers are to interact. Furthermore, Paul utilizes Metaphor with the term "edification" (oikodomḗ). By using a word that literally means "building" or "construction," he paints a vivid picture of the spiritual process of growth and strengthening. Just as a physical building is carefully constructed, so too are believers and the church built up through intentional, loving actions. This metaphor underscores the constructive and progressive nature of Christian fellowship. The verse also functions as a powerful Ethical Exhortation, providing a concise moral instruction that guides believers in their interpersonal relationships within the church, moving them from self-centeredness to other-centered, Christ-like love.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 15:2 encapsulates a profound theological truth: Christian love is not merely an emotion but an active, self-sacrificial pursuit of another's spiritual good. This verse resonates deeply with the biblical emphasis on communal responsibility and the interconnectedness of the body of Christ. It teaches that true Christian liberty is not an excuse for self-indulgence but an opportunity to serve and strengthen others, especially those who may be weaker in faith or hold different convictions. By prioritizing the edification of our neighbor, we participate in God's work of building up His church, reflecting the very character of Christ who did not please Himself but sought the Father's will and our salvation. This principle is vital for maintaining unity, fostering spiritual maturity, and demonstrating the transformative power of the Gospel in practical, relational terms.
Reflection and Application
Romans 15:2 challenges us to move beyond a self-centered approach to faith and embrace a posture of active, benevolent consideration for others within the Christian community. In a world that often celebrates individualism and personal rights, this verse calls us to a counter-cultural ethic of sacrificial love. Practically, this means intentionally asking how our choices, words, and actions impact the spiritual journey of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It might involve foregoing a personal preference, exercising restraint in our liberties, or choosing a path that, while perhaps less convenient for us, contributes to another's growth and strengthens their faith. This principle is especially pertinent in diverse church settings, where differing backgrounds, convictions, and levels of maturity require grace, patience, and a shared commitment to mutual edification. Our aim should always be to build up, encourage, and strengthen, rather than to tear down, cause offense, or create division.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "please his neighbour" mean I should be a "people-pleaser" and compromise my convictions?
No, the biblical command to "please his neighbour" in Romans 15:2 is fundamentally different from worldly "people-pleasing" or compromising one's convictions. The crucial qualifier in the verse is "for his good to edification." This clarifies that the aim is not to gain human approval, flatter, or avoid conflict at the expense of truth or personal integrity. Instead, it means acting in a way that genuinely benefits the other person's spiritual well-being and contributes to their growth in faith. Paul himself states in Galatians 1:10 that if he were still "pleasing men," he would not be a servant of Christ. Therefore, the "pleasing" in Romans 15:2 is a selfless, love-motivated act that seeks the spiritual construction of the other person, even if it requires personal sacrifice or restraint on one's own liberties, as discussed in Romans 14. It is about building up, not merely conforming.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 15:2 finds its ultimate fulfillment and perfect example in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul immediately follows this verse by stating in Romans 15:3, "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." Jesus perfectly embodied the principle of pleasing His neighbor for their good to edification. His entire earthly ministry was characterized by self-sacrifice, not self-pleasing. He consistently set aside His own comfort, rights, and even divine prerogatives (as seen in Philippians 2:5-8) to serve humanity, ultimately laying down His life on the cross for our salvation. His life was a continuous act of love aimed at our ultimate spiritual good and eternal edification. By His example, Jesus demonstrated that true strength is found not in asserting one's own will, but in humbly serving others, bearing their burdens, and seeking their highest good, thereby building them up into the family of God and conforming them to His image, as commanded in John 13:34-35.